The present invention concerns an improved electro-optical module assembly for use in a telecommunications or networking system. Specifically, the present invention concerns an improved fibre optic module which is capable of being plugged into and removed from a telecommunications networking system.
As the capacity in telecommunication networking systems grow, there is an increasing need to provide optical modules which can be inserted and removed from the telecommunications networking system without having to power down the system. This is known in the field as xe2x80x9chot plugabilityxe2x80x9d.
Furthermore, there is a trend in telecommunications networking systems towards greater integration. This means that customers wish to place more components and/or modules into their system using as little space as possible. Thus there is a need to provide components and modules, which can be mounted to the customer""s board using a minimum of board space, thus allowing for maximum module density on the customer""s board. Using less board space also saves on cost.
Typically, optical modules are either fixed onto a customer""s printed circuit board (PCB) directly or, as shown in FIG. 1, slotted through a front panel of a chassis mounted on the board. In FIG. 1, the known mounting arrangement is shown in which a transceiver module 100 is connected to a customer""s PCB 102 via chassis 101. The module is inserted through a front panel 103 of the chassis, which is mounted to the customer""s PCB.
Directly fixing the optical module to the board requires an excessive amount of PCB space, whereas the chassis arrangement shown in FIG. 1 only allows the module to be inserted from the front of the board.
Furthermore, the mounting methods described above do not inherently provide adequate electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. EMI shielding must be achieved with additional, separate shielding means, which occupies yet more PCB space.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a module and module mounting means, which is hot pluggable and which uses a minimum of customer PCB space.
It is a further object of the present invention to integrate EMI shielding within the module and module mounting means.
According to the present invention there is provided an electro-optic module assembly comprising an electro-optic module and a module mounting means, the module having a groove and a slot and said module mounting means having disposed thereon a protrusion to receive said groove and said slot.
Preferably the groove is disposed horizontally along the module and the slot is disposed perpendicular to the groove. More preferably the module comprises two grooves disposed on opposite sides of the module and a plurality of slots also disposed on opposite sides of the module.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the module mounting means comprises a plurality of protrusions disposed on opposite sides of the mounting means.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, the module mounting means further comprises at least one post extending from the mounting means to facilitate connection of the mounting means to a printed circuit board.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, the module mounting means comprises EMI shielding means. The EMI shielding means may include at least one resilient finger arranged to exert pressure on the module so as to improve electrical connection between the module and the EMI shielding means.
Preferably, the electro-optical module is a transceiver. Alternatively, the electro-optic module may be a receiver or a transmitter.
The electro-optic module assembly may be used in an optical telecommunications system or an optical networking system.
Advantageously, the present invention provides an electro-optic assembly, which is both hot pluggable and uses a minimum of space on the customer""s PCB.
Furthermore, the present invention provides improved EMI shielding by incorporating shielding means within the assembly, again saving space on the customer""s PCB.
By reducing the space required on the PCB, the customer can fit more modules into his system, thus increasing the overall capacity of his communication network.